This invention relates to materials, particularly, but not exclusively, materials for surfacing paths, driveways, roadways and outdoor hard standing areas, methods of making them and methods of using them.
Porous sheet containing crumb rubber is known from GB767957, and is said to be useful as a carpet underlay or carpet backing. Sports and domestic surfaces made from materials including crumb rubber are known from US2006/0124031, the crumb rubber being incorporated in an asphalt matrix, and from US2008/0104814 and US 2004/0069924 in which an expanded polypropylene (EPP) product. is spread in situ or factory-formed into tiles or blocks and laid on a prepared base such as concrete or as a suspended floor, and covered with a surface finishing material of crumb rubber, hardwood flooring or carpet.
Crumb rubber is recovered from automobile and ground-running tyres, which contain wire. For use in surfacing materials, the rubber has to be completely separated from the wire, which would constitute a hazard, projecting randomly from the surface.
The present invention provides new surface materials, new ways of making them and new uses for them exhibiting substantial advantages over previous products.